My trowls are now hung up for good

[mikebidd]

Morning this isnt a thread about me needing encouragement god knows you lot have given me enought off that!

I did the job i mentioned but whilst doing it the members off family kept slipping up on different trades men they had fallen out with a roofer a stonemason a prevouse tiler and a joiner....

So i started to get a bad felling abad getting paid. Any way really needed the brass for today so stopped on job till half past 9 last night as i wanted to lay floor and grout it same day.

i had dry laid it day before using 4mm spacers so thought it was ready to go until the customer came in said they wanted 7mm spacers down and said they wanted them instead!!!!

So i shaved all the floor tiles down again then they complained that they wanted the ply put down differently I didnt think it made a difference how it was down as long as it covered all the joists???

Any way laid the floor waited 4 hour (it was red hot yesterday) then grouted it in white.

Waited for customer to get back as they had to pop out (conviently) they didnt turn up so went back today where i was told you should never use white grout on a floor????????????????????????

And i should have used the brown that was in the shed I dont know about you but i cant read minds and im not going to route about some ones shed.

So now i have to go back monday to dig up grout and re do it.

I quoted a silly price on this job the room isnt that small and i quoted 200 to do the floor and walls (against the advice on here)

Ill finish it then giving up on the tiling.

 

[b30 villain]

Dont let one job make you give up bud it would be a shame

 

[mikebidd]

Mate its not tjust the job if you like its final nail in coffin. Id like to do a thread on started out tiling for the people considering it as a trade. Too see contreray too what they might be told its not always finish course and start earning 0000s,

 

[b30 villain]

ive just finished year one of a 2 year course bud and after finishing year 2 i dont expect to be earning loads straight away i might see if i can get a job with a firm for a bit and do my own jobs on the weekend to build my reputation up then go on my own

 

[marky]

Hi ya i no how you feel i have been at it for 24 years ihave had to post here it will not let me post in new threds.I to am give up no work for weeks and done all the running around i can, got a new job to lookforward to going into health care aplyed for job in jan so a long wait start 21st june thanks to you all and big thanks to Neale

 

[mikebidd]

Good luck too you mate

 

[Gazzer]

Hi Marky, sorry to hear that but its good you have somewhere else to go. All the best fella

 

[marky]

And to you to dont forget to take your gloves off:lol::lol:

 

[finlay]

all the best what ever you decide to do

 

[brian c]

sounds like wirse have been crossed here,shouldnt they have told you and shouldnt you have asked what and where the grout is colour atc?Sometimes these jobs are a pain in the ****,learn from it m8 and dont quote so low next time.

 

[mikebidd]

In there garage they had loads off different colouyr grouts plus addys tubbed and powdered and cutters etc. They left white grout at and id grouted the walls in white so i assumed they wanted white i had no idea they had all that in the garage.

 

[david campbell]

nowadays you can put white grout in the floor and it will tend to last with all the new grouts and sealers available,i've had 2 customers who were related and they both have white grout in there bathrooms andm it's still good after a few years,as i've just spoke to there father and he says they have just gave it a coat of sealer every year

 

[nybor62]

stick with it mike,can only get better after that job ,sound like quite awkward customers

 

[Dan]

You often find it's probably best that you don't get the jobs when the customer is all about price and not quality of workmanship and products used. Let some other shmuck get those jobs and you keep your chin up and keep marketing the business.

Sounds like that's wasted advice for the couple in this thread who sound like they've decided what they want to do. But perhaps useful for some others who may read this in the future.

 

[hillhead]

Sorry to hear this guys,
it's not easy for newbies and some time served at the minute.
Good luck to you both in what you decide.

 

[user123]

Sometimes everything gets a bit much, or too much, and then things pick up again, and you struggle on... perhaps it's worth it, perhaps not, but as long as you can say with a clear conscience you gave it your best shot, well, it's YOUR life, so go with what feels right, not necessarily easier. Good luck, we all need it sometimes..

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Good to you both

 

[mikebidd]

I have certanly done that! too be 100% honust id have given up along time ago if it wasnt for this site.

I do like tiling alot but i think i rested too much hope on it. ill still be floating around the forum to join in the banter. My pc only knows this site and ebay lol

 

[mz30]

Hi Mike,


My advice mate for what its worth ,dont let one bad experience put you down mate,i'll bet a pound to a penny that all the experienced tilers on here still get a little pull on thing on occasion( no-one is perfect)sometimes its your fault other times its down to the surfaces etc that you have to work with.

Me personally dont like using white grout on floors but will do if thats the grout the customer has(how on earth were you supposed to know they wanted brown grout without them saying) always clarify what the customer wants before you even give a price.

Never go in cheaper than there lowest quote,never let them dangle the carrot of future work and always point any stumbling blocks out to the client.

And never ever volunteer to do any extra work i.e loosing the sanitary of the wall etc(if you break something while doing such then you are liable).

Final bit of advice,don't give up even though your confidence maybe knocked you are only new to the trade and we all had to start out somewhere,when i was new to the game i gave a mate a quote of £25 for his bathroom walls and never got the job,he paid someone £300 pound for the job and they messed it up,he then paid me the same to put it right(i was doing him a favour with the cheap quote as i was only learning and he was a mate) since then i have never wavered on my price and when a mate asks for tiling i charge em double what i would normally .

No favours and no friends in buisness is motto now

Good luck Mike ,hope you stick with it mate

 

[TT Tiling]

stay with it mate ,it will come good , if not good luck in wot you do

 

[mikebidd]

If its not this its imprezas mate. And im having alot off call for the parts at moment, Iv had 9 phone calls in a week, BUT i dont have the capital to set up again.

 

[Aston]

best of luck mike
as one door shuts, another one traps your fingers in the hinge and all that

you can always come back to it if you want but for now, just concentrate on the new career and put it all behind you. its the past now, its the future that you can do something about mate

ed

 

[mikebidd]

Thats the job half way through me cleaning it up

 

[CJ CERAMICS]

Mike dont give up tiling because of this job mate!
some customers are just trying it on......and if it makes you feel better (though it prob wont) a customer i did a bathroom for this week (started monday while they went to the caravan for a few days) 4 walls at a height of 1200 mm from floor with a mosiac border on top...finished in a brushed aluminium square edge profile....has just rang me to say that she doesn't feel that she should have to pay me because the field tiles only finish at a height of 1197 mm from floor......and i am not kidding lol.
chris

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Some people are not cut out for working on their own!
From the posts that I've read Mike it seems to have been tough for you over the last 6 months, and not just with the tiling! Its very rare that we can all do the type of work that we enjoy as a hobby and its then that you have to take stock of your life and make tough decisions - others on this forum have changed direction and are trying something new.
I'am sure that everyone who has read your posts wish you well for the future and good luck.

 

[mikebidd]

Well its an asian family and a few generations live there (big house) iv always had someone litterally standing behind my shoulder watching that is no joke or exagertion. One off the brothers who in his own words is abit poorly in the mind came in last night after the brother had left conviently and said my brothers not paying you whilst giggerlng.

Today when i went back and was told it has taken me so long (3 days??!!) becuse off my lack off expierence and that if he wnted too he wouldnt pay me. i explained that if he wanted too do that i would remove everytile back off the wall there and then.

He also keeps saying he has loads off houses and contracters working for him that could have done a quicker and better job which is a bit off a kick in the teeth.

 

[mikebidd]

Some people are not cut out for working on their own!
From the posts that I've read Mike it seems to have been tough for you over the last 6 months, and not just with the tiling! Its very rare that we can all do the type of work that we enjoy as a hobby and its then that you have to take stock of your life and make tough decisions - others on this forum have changed direction and are trying something new.
I'am sure that everyone who has read your posts wish you well for the future and good luck.

Thanks mate for your words i quite like working on my own tho i havent really done a job where im working with others. I dont like the bitchyness that goes with it. and i also dont do the talking behind some ones back bit i just say it straight too them. which has got me in trouble before now as the wife says i stick up for people too easily lol

Ill still be about the forum i like the banter and the wllingness for so many people too offer there advice and expierences too others

its a nice thing that

 

[kilty55]

Well its an asian family and a few generations live there (big house) iv always had someone litterally standing behind my shoulder watching that is no joke or exagertion. One off the brothers who in his own words is abit poorly in the mind came in last night after the brother had left conviently and said my brothers not paying you whilst giggerlng.

Today when i went back and was told it has taken me so long (3 days??!!) becuse off my lack off expierence and that if he wnted too he wouldnt pay me. i explained that if he wanted too do that i would remove everytile back off the wall there and then.

He also keeps saying he has loads off houses and contracters working for him that could have done a quicker and better job which is a bit off a kick in the teeth.

this guy is nothing more than something on the bottom of your shoe mike,,do not ever let people like this make you change what you want to do mate,,may i ask have you been paid for this job yet mate?

 

[mikebidd]

No i was meant to be paid last night hence why i stayed so long yesterday but he disapeared.

Went back today had a "heated conversation" with him and the things i need too do are.
1) dig grout out off floor
2) re grout floor
3) theres a piece off ply next too door frame that flexs badly which he says i was meat to tile it about 15mm wide and runs from floor to cieling. even tho im sure i said he would need to paint it.

Ill do it tuesday and i simply wont leave till im paid. Ill be back in 45 mins wife has finished watching britans got talant and wants pc lol

 

[The D]

Hi ya i no how you feel i have been at it for 24 years ihave had to post here it will not let me post in new threds.I to am give up no work for weeks and done all the running around i can, got a new job to lookforward to going into health care aplyed for job in jan so a long wait start 21st june thanks to you all and big thanks to Neale

you will be back. you cant keep a good dog down.

 

[fergy7197]

mike - this is one of the downs - the up has yet to come mate!

the guy is talking utter rubbish - if he had contractors that work for him he would have had them in in a jiff pronto at a mega cheap price.

In my experience and this is no means racist, asian customers do tend to be a bit funny, whether its the price(which they will ALWAYS haggle on), they always have a mate that could have done it but he is too busy etc etc. Even my own best mate who is asian - just says its in there culture! thats what they do!

chin up mate - looks a cracking job to me!

get paid, go spend it knowing its the fruits of YOUR labour!